ONE of the stars of the last Star Wars movies spoke to children at a Bradford Primary School during a Skype chat this morning.

Riz Ahmed, who played imperial pilot Bodhi Rook, a major character in Rogue One, spoke with the pupils of Beckfoot Heaton about his career and the importance of believing in yourself during the video call, which he carried out from his London home.

The movie series has just celebrated its 40th anniversary.

The actor, who is of Pakistani descent, has also appeared in films including comedy Four Lions, Nightcrawler and in acclaimed TV series The Night Of.

He had originally been invited into the school, but when he could not arrange a visit he agreed to instead speak to pupils over Skype.

Over half an hour he spoke about his career and answered questions from pupils, during which he revealed ET was his favourite film.

He spoke to children about facing adversity, saying: “When you are going through a tough situation, it can make you stronger. If you feel you don’t belong, then that is actually what makes you special.”

He said self doubt was the biggest obstacle they would face, adding: “There is a voice that says ‘you can’t do this.’ It is a voice that tells you you’re not good enough. The biggest obstacle is not what other people put in front of us, but what is inside us.

“You need to be able to tell yourself ‘I am good enough.’

“Don’t let the challenges you face in life give you a heard heart.”

He also spoke of his first day on the Rogue One set, and how the Stormtroopers scared him - until one took off his helmet and asked if he fancied a cup of tea.

The actor, who is also a rapper, ended the talk with a short rap about the school.

The event was organised by Year 4 teacher Khola Mir, through her sister, former Telegraph & Argus journalist Saima Mir. She said: “We are trying to get future generations to aspire to be the best they can possibly be. We want these children to realise that if you have confidence in yourself and persevere, then success will come your way.

“We wanted the children to know the opportunities are there, and although things might not always be easy they have to keep going.

“Riz is such a good role model, and is someone who is of a similar heritage to a lot of children in our school. It shows the children there are roles for them.”